Managing Director, Corporate Communications — Bay Area Growth

Teneo external feed for LinkedIn; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Healthcare coverage

401K match

Commuter benefits

Team events

Job summary

Teneo is seeking a Managing Director of Corporate Communications in San Francisco to lead the Strategy & Communications team, own a portfolio of client relationships, and help grow the office’s business and reputation in the Bay Area.

The role emphasizes building teams, guiding complex engagements, and advising executives, with a focus on aligning communications with business strategy and embracing AI-enabled practices.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant experience in corporate communications, public relations, media, or a related field.
• Track record of building teams, functions, practices, processes, or systems, ideally including leading an organization through significant transformation.
• Senior in-house communications experience at a technology company is strongly preferred; agency and advisory leaders with deep technology-client experience are also encouraged to apply.
• Significant experience independently leading large, complex client engagements.
• Experience counseling senior executives and boards, and working alongside external financial and legal advisors.
• Deep familiarity with the technology ecosystem, particularly founders of mid-to-late-stage startups, with strong relationships across both traditional and non-traditional media.
• A holistic view of communications as a driver of business outcomes.
• Curiosity about AI and hands-on use of AI tools in your own work.
• Comfort with ambiguity and the pace of building something new.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Work with the San Francisco Office Head to lead the San Francisco Strategy & Communications team. Set direction, develop talent, provide senior-level oversight across engagements, and help recruit the people who will grow the office.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to founders, CEOs, and senior leaders, influencing client direction and building long-term relationships.
• Drive business development. Originate new client relationships, expand existing ones, and turn the office's network into client work.
• Help clients through moments of transition, including fundraising, IPO readiness, leadership changes, M&A, regulatory scrutiny, crises, and shifts in business model or technology. Translate the realities of a technology business for the audiences that judge it.
• Develop and lead complex, integrated communications programs that use every lever together: earned media, owned and social channels, executive visibility, events, and non-traditional media such as podcasts, newsletters, and online video.
• Advise clients on how their communications function should evolve, including its structure, capabilities, operating model, and use of new tools.
• Build Teneo's presence in the Bay Area through thought leadership, signature events, speaking, and relationships across the technology, investor, and business communities.
• Partner with colleagues across Teneo's segments, including management consulting, investor relations, financial advisory, risk, and executive search, to deliver integrated solutions.
• Help the office experiment with and adopt AI-enabled ways of working, in partnership with Teneo's firmwide AI efforts.
• Make complex decisions affecting colleagues and clients in a timely and transparent way, and foster a culture where quality and client satisfaction come first.

Skills

Team building

Executive counseling

AI curiosity

Media relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Teneo is seeking a Managing Director of Corporate Communications in San Francisco to lead the Strategy & Communications team, own a portfolio of client relationships, and help grow the office’s business and reputation in the Bay Area.

The role emphasizes building teams, guiding complex engagements, and advising executives, with a focus on aligning communications with business strategy and embracing AI-enabled practices.